We all have the ability to reach others for God, but many women are unaware of the secret weapon housed in them. The Holy Spirit has empowered you for purpose, and He wants to use your influence to draw your family members, neighbors, coworkers and others to Him.

turned the thick envelope
over and over in my hands. Guessing what was inside, I hesitated to open
it and confirm my suspicions.

With heart pounding, I broke
the seal. Underneath it lay an invitation to a wedding—a wedding that
should have been mine. I was being invited to celebrate the marriage of
the man I thought I still loved and the woman who had broken up our
engagement. Surely they didn't think I would attend!

As horrible as this
experience was, it was not unique to me. Every woman knows someone she
thought would love her forever who later said, "I don't want you
anymore. I don't love you or need you. I want out of this friendship,
this marriage, this church, this job, this business." We have all been
victims of rejection. read more

It's funny how a slow death can take you completely by surprise. I was killing my 2-year-old marriage and didn't even know it.

What I did know, and know very well, was the ache of a vague yet familiar yearning for all things intimate and emotional. Because I wasn't experiencing such things in my marriage, I set out to make intimacy happen—only to find myself, months later, more isolated than ever—from both my husband, Rick, and God. read more

Every one of us has the opportunity to affect the course of history in his or her lifetime. Every time an intercessor prays effectively for a nation, God's hand is moved. When this happens, the greatest forces of power in the universe are mobilized, and history is made. Intercessors praying regularly and effectively for the nations become some of the greatest history-shapers of all time.

As we pray for the nations of the world, it is important to understand that our main focus needs to be on the body of Christ in those nations. God has shaped history around His people, and He expects us—not governments—to shape the history of the nations (see 2 Chron. 7:14). read more

By now I'm sure you've read about it or heard the news. Miss California USA Carrie Prejean will keep her crown despite "racy" photos that appeared on a Web site weeks after the 21-year-old defended traditional marriage during the televised Miss USA pageant.

She told the panel of celebrity judges, a live audience and millions of viewers, she didn't believe in "opposite marriage." "I don't mean to offend anybody," she said, "but that's the way I was raised." She went on to say marriage is between a man and a woman. read more

Have you ever been tempted to restrain your emotions in a worship service because someone might misunderstand or become uncomfortable? Often women have been accused of being overly sensitive or sentimental. But when your outpouring of love and thankfulness goes beyond words to tears, don't be embarrassed. I believe the Lord receives those tears as worship.

Four times in the gospels, the story appears of a woman's lavish gesture of worship—anointing Jesus with a very expensive jar of perfume. Three of these reports are likely descriptions of Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, whose ministry to Jesus occurred during the final week of His earthly life (see Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 14:1-9; John 12:1-8).

The fourth account, however, though similar in detail, is a report of a separate event involving a different woman and occurring earlier in the life and ministry of Jesus than the week of His passion (see Luke 7:36-50). read more

Do your problems get in the way of your relationship with God? Sometimes we let hindrances such as disappointment, pride or the cares of life block the flow of the Holy Spirit in us and we become ineffective for Him. read more

Finally I could slow down long enough to have a cup of coffee with a new friend. I had taken a week's vacation from work and had been looking forward to this time of relaxation and unhurried conversation with a sister in Christ I had met a few weeks earlier.

We found we had much in common. We talked and laughed, and as the morning turned into afternoon, we grew excited about how God seemed to be orchestrating our lives in similar ways. We prayed and encouraged one another and shared our plans for the future.

Just then, the phone rang. I picked it up and heard my husband's voice on the other end. In a faltering tone, he told me that a friend of ours, Doris, had died, succumbing to a 19-year battle with cancer. read more

I used to believe God never used physical affliction to do a spiritual work in the hearts of His people. I was taught that God has many means at His disposal to deepen our love and purify our faith, and sickness and infirmity were not among those tools.

Affliction always comes from the hand of the enemy, I was told, and Christ would never send such a thing our way because He died to deliver us from all the works of the enemy. So sickness is never God's will for the saint, and if it lingers then there's something wrong. These were things I believed and preached—until infirmity hit me. read more